Toronto (ECN) - A diet rich in fruits and vegetables reduces the risk of a heart attack while eating fried salted foods increases the risk. according to a study published Monday.
Canadian Researchers examined 16,000 patients infarction between 1999 and 2003, worldwide, contrary to previous work which took into account that the developed countries.
Patients filled out a questionnaire about their eating habits, based on 19 groups of foods including both good and bad foods for health, and taking into account the food preferences of each country taking part in the study.
The researchers noted that those who ate fried foods, the salty snacks, eggs and meat - the so-called "Western" diet - had a 35% increased risk of having a heart attack than those consuming little or no fried food or meat, whatever the country where they live.
Those observing a "prudent plan", rich in raw or cooked vegetables and fruits, have 30% less likely to suffer a heart attack than those consuming few fruits and vegetables, underlines the study.
The third type of diet, said "oriental" diet, containing foods such as tofu and soy sauce, seems to have little impact on the risk of heart attack. Tofu for example has protective properties for the heart but the soy sauce, high in salt, cancel, notes the study published in Circulation, the journal of the American Heart Association.
"What we've shown is if you eat a healthy diet you can actually reduce the risk of heart attack by about 30 to 40 per cent. That is bigger than most drugs we have for protecting against heart disease," study author Dr. Salim Yusef told CTV News.
"It's even bigger than an angioplasty or bypass."
The study was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research; the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario; the International Clinical Epidemiology Network; and unrestricted grants from several pharmaceutical companies.
